Here and Now
by Reva Arian
Summary: A look into a random morning at the Westen household. Just a bit of fluffy near-future fic.


Michael Westen came awake at the sudden weight resting on his back, pinning him to the bed. In situations like this there was only one thing that he could do. His spy training taught him that he would have to make quick, calculated movements in order to take his opponent. The rest he had to leave up to instinct, hoping that he could catch his opponent off-guard.

Melody Westen squealed in both surprise and delight as her father, with a raucous yell and reflexes quick as lightning, suddenly grabbed a hold of her tiny body and pulled her against his chest in a tight bear hug. She squirmed to free herself from his grasp, but he held her relentlessly, blowing raspberries on her neck and digging his fingers into her sides causing her laughter to ring out like church bells on Sunday. He laughed along with her, her pleas of "No, Daddy, no!" not gaining her any sympathy. Finally, her father scooped her up and rose to his knees.

"Don't drop me, Daddy!" Melody pleaded in as best a way a two year-old could. Her father tossed her lightly in his arms, not ever really letting her go, but pretending that any second he could lose his hold on her.

"What, Mel? You don't trust me?" Michael feigned a pout, but it didn't last long. Without warning, he dropped his daughter from where he held her, catching her just before she could fall onto the bed. He repeated this a few more times, using his downward momentum to create a greater sensation of falling before allowing her to drop onto the bed and bounce, Melody giggling excitedly the whole time. Finally free of her father's torture, she jumped up and climbed into his arms, flopping tiredly into his lap as she tried to catch her breath.

"Love you, Daddy." Melody breathed.

"Love you, Melly." Michael pursed his lips and Melody gave him a quick kiss in return.

Fiona stood quietly in the door way, smiling at the sight that played out before her. Her absolute favorite moments were born out of their weekend routine.

Michael saw his wife standing at the door of their bedroom and, hoisting Melody onto his hip, stood up to make his way over to her.

"Good morning, Fi." He rested his palm lightly on the swell of her belly as her leaned down to kiss her, "He keep you up again?"

Fiona sighed, her weariness beginning to show through as she rested her head against Michael's shoulder, "Not for long. He decided to wake me up early this morning with his own rendition of an Irish river dance. He calmed down after I ate some yogurt."

This made Michael smile, "Like father, like son, huh?"

"God, I hope not." Fiona teased, turning so that she could walk down the hall and back toward the kitchen. Michael followed, setting Melody into her highchair as Fiona set out some cereal and half of the banana she'd cut up in front of her. The two year-old wasted no time diving into her breakfast as Michael sank into the chair next to her. He and Fiona went on high alert when the door leading out into the back patio opened suddenly.

"Oh, good, you're up." Sam Axe declared as he marched over to the fridge and helped himself to one of Michael's yogurts. Without missing a beat, he sat opposite Michael at the table on the other side of Melody, reaching out as if he were going to steal a piece of her banana.

"No, Uncle Sam! My 'nana!" She exclaimed.

"Aw, c'mon, Mel. Not even one?" He teased the blue-eyed angel that had become the main lady in his life.

"What do you want, Sam?" Michael pressed, rubbing his palms into his eyes. Fiona set a yogurt down in front of him before sitting down to dig into her fruit salad.

"Geez, Mikey. Can't a guy just come hang out and some eat breakfast with his friends? What's with the 3rd degree?" Sam said around a mouthful of the peach flavored dairy product.

Michael only looked pointedly at Sam, knowing his friend and knowing very well that he had to have an ulterior motive.

"Ok, fine. This new lady friend of mine, she has a brother who has gotten into cahoots with some not so nice characters…"

"A job, Sam?" Michael groaned, his head falling to the table to rest against its cool surface.

"Not even a job. More like a task. A favor, if you will." Michael could already feel his headache beginning to emerge. He raised his head to look at Fiona, silently asking what he should do.

"Go ahead. Melody and I could go visit your mom for a while. I'm sure she would love to go shopping for more "boy" clothes." Fiona said, stabbing at her bowl and loading up the tines of her fork with blueberries.

Michael sighed, taking a moment to decide. The only noise in the room came from Melody, who was content to happily slurp her watered down apple juice from her Disney Princess sippy cup, courtesy of "G'ama Maddie".

"Fine. Give me ten minutes to shower and get dressed." He said to Sam, moving to stand up but stopping when Fiona pulled on his arm.

"Eat first." She demanded, moving the cup of yogurt closer to him, "Then you can go."

"Great, Mike. This won't even be a whole day thing. I'll have you back in time for dinner." Sam said happily.

Fiona retreated to the bedroom to grab a quick nap while Sam gladly took care of bathing and dressing Melody, leaving Michael to sit quietly at the table to finish his breakfast. He smiled to himself, shaking his head. It was definitely a typical Westen morning.

* * *

***This was the product of yet another idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Let me know if you like it as I'd like to continue adding to it, if not as a full length story then as a series of one-shots :).**


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